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Sharess
The Festhall Madam, the Lustful Mistress, Feline of Felicity, Succubus of Sensation, the Tawny Temptress, the Dancing Lady, Foe of Set, Mother of Cats Demipower of Olympus and Gladsheim CG PORTFOLIO: Hedonism, excess, lust, sensual fulfillment, festhalls, cats, pleasure seekers ALIASES: Bast, Bastet, Felidae, Zandilar the Dancer DOMAIN NAME: Olympus/Brightwater and Gladsheim/Merratet SUPERIOR: None ALLIES: Anhur, Hanali Celanil, Lliira, Milil, Nobanion, Selune, Sune FOES: Set, Shar, Loviatar SYMBOL: Feminine lips (Sharess) or a cat's head wearing delicate golden hoop earrings (Bast; older) WORSHIPPERS ALIGNMENT: Any The Church CLERGY: Clerics, specialty priests, mystics CLERGY'S ALIGNMENT: NG, CG, N, CN; rarely and briefly, NE, CE TURN UNDEAD: Cleric: Yes, Specialty Priest: No, Mystic: No COMMAND UNDEAD: Cleric: No, Specialty Priest: No, Mystic: No All clerics, mystics, and specialty priests of Sharess receive religion (Faerunian) and religion (Mulhorandi) as bonus nonweapon proficiencies. Sharess includes a small but significant number of elves and half-elves among her clergy, most of whom venerate her as Zandilar the Dancer. Sharess is worshiped in large urban areas such as Waterdeep, Calimport, and other cities along the Sword Coast. She is revered by male and female professional escorts who take pride in their professions, the decadent rich, and those who seek only endless pleasure in life. In Mulhorand, she is also revered by those who combat Set and rewards those who work long and hard against him with occasional nights of wild pleasure to inspire them to further efforts. Sharess's faith is still very young and its ceremonies very loose and fluid, with long worship services that resemble nothing so much as extended feasts and revels, heavy on the pleasures of the flesh and light on the teachings of the spirit. A goodly number of former followers of Waukeen who have rejected Lliira's teachings have become interested in Sharess. The few temples of Sharess are typically located in large cities along the Sword Coast, but small shrines to the goddess of pleasure may be found in almost every festhall in the Realms. Her temples are typically constructed to resemble elaborate festhalls, with graceful, fluting pillars, octagonal domes, great halls sculpted to resemble forest glades, secluded nooks, bathing areas in natural mineral springs, great banquet halls, and richly scented massage parlors. Most are guarded by staunch fighters and even exotic sentient monsters who are sworn to protect all revelers who partake in the name of Sharess. The clergy of Sharess are collectively known as Sharessin. Both male and female humans can be found in their ranks, but charismatic and physically beautiful female humans comprise the great majority of them. Specialty priests of Sharess are known as sensates. As there is no known connection between Sharess's faithful and the Outer Planar faction of the same name, this is a potential point of confusion. The clergy of Sharess is split evenly between clerics and specialty priests, with the balance slowly shifting in favor of specialty priests. Alignment restrictions for Sharess's clergy (particularly clerics) are weak, and a gentle slide toward evil is still often tolerated. Those priests who remain evil and seem unwilling or unable to drift back toward neutrality in their behavior are secretly entreated by agents of Shar to shift their worship to the Dark Maiden while maintaining their position within the clergy of Sharess. The Feline of Felicity seems unwilling or unable to prevent such defections at this time, rare though they may be. Dogma: Sharess's priests are expected to live their lives in the decadent sensual fulfillment of themselves and others. Pleasure is to be sought out at every opportunity and life is to be lived as one endless revel. Initiates to the faith are taught that: "Life is to be lived to its fullest. That which is good is pleasurable and that which is pleasurable is good. Spread the bounty of the goddess so that all may join in the Endless Revel of Life and bring joy to all those in pain. Infinite experiences await those who would explore, so try the new as well as savoring the old." Day-to-Day Activities: Many priests and priestesses of Sharess run pleasure houses in large cities or directly serve decadent rulers. These pleasure houses cater to all the senses and include fantastic feasts, heavenly baths and massages, unique experiences, such as flight, and every other pleasure imaginable. Wealthy festhalls often employ one or two mid-level Sharessin, and some Sharessin wander the countryside, with Sharess's blessing, seeking new pleasing sensations to add to their repertoire. Holy Days / Important Ceremonies: The clergy of Sharess celebrate more festivals than possibly any other faith in the Realms. They are known collectively as the Endless Revel of Life. The daily rising and setting of the sun, the yearly passage of seasons, the appearance of a full moon, or nearly any other event is cause for a celebration and wild revel to which the general populace is always invited. Each such festival has several outlandish titles and new festivals are added all the time as old ones are forgotten. Without comparison, however, Midsummer's Eve is the time of greatest rejoicing among Sharess's faithful and an occasion for the most extreme pursuits of boundless pleasure. Major Centers of Worship: The center of Sharess's faith is the Festhall of Eternal Delight located along Calimport's waterfront. An earlier temple on this spot was destroyed during the most recent Night Parade, and the new temple is even more extravagant than the last. Dark marble columns, jutting spires, crystalline statues in enticing poses and vast, landscaped atriums decorate this sprawling complex. The temple baths are legendary for their recuperative powers and skilled masseuses, and the temple flowers are carefully selected for the reputed aphrodisiacal properties of their scents in some rooms and their calming or soothing properties in others. Gigantic fighters (several who appear to have giant or ogre blood), a sirine (somehow magically equipped to breathe air), and a faerie dragon, among other exotic protectors, stand guard against the frequent raids from the neighboring Temple of Old Night. Affiliated Orders: Sharess is served by no military or knightly orders. Most professional escorts in major cities join formal or informal guilds led by her clergy, however. Sharess is served by a secretive sisterhood of female werecats known as the Eyes of Evening who also pay tribute to Selune. The aims and goals of this mysterious fellowship are unknown, although they are rumored to hunt cultists of Shar and Loviatar during nights of the full moon. Priestly Vestments: All priests of Sharess wear their hair long and style it to show off their faces and bodies to their best advantage. The priestly raiment of Sharess's clergy varies widely according to the priest's gender, the local climate, current fashions, and the priest's taste. Waterdhavian courtesans favor highly suggestive evening dresses that make them seem half-undressed, while the women of Calimport's harem's wear diaphanous negligees, short vests, sheer pantaloons, gold dust, and endless gemstone beads and coins strung in ropes and made into decorative chains and fringes. Male clergy typically prefer tight-fitting breeches that are tailored to their charms and blousy open shirts. They often wear decorative belts and vests. Sharess's holy symbol is the image of feminine lips carved from dark amber or ruby and worn on a golden chain on the wrist or ankle. The few priests and priestesses of Bast who remain in Mulhorand favor tight-fitting kalasiris (tight-fitting white linen knee-length skirts) and ornate pectoral collars draped suggestively over the chest or breasts. The holy symbol of Bast is a cat's head wearing golden hoop earrings. Adventuring Garb: When adventuring, the clergy of Sharess endeavor to preserve the gifts of the goddess as best as they can and hence typically wear the best armor they can afford. There is no point to living life without pleasure, however, so they always decorate such armor as provocatively as possible. Specialty Priests Sensates REQUIREMENTS: Dexterity 10, Wisdom 9, Charisma 13 PRIME REQUISITES: Wisdom, Charisma ALIGNMENT: CG, CN WEAPONS: Club, dagger, knife, khopesh, net, sling, scimitar, whip ARMOR: Any, but decorated provocatively MAJOR SPHERES: All, Chaos, Charm, Combat, Healing, Guardian, Protection MINOR SPHERES: Animal, Creation, Elemental (Water), Necromantic, Travelers MAGICAL ITEMS: Same as clerics REQUIRED PROFICIENCIES: Dancing BONUS PROFICIENCIES: Singing, Artistic Ability (pick one), and Musical Instrument (pick one) Although humans make up the majority of the clergy of Sharess, elves, half-elves, and the rare halfling may also become specialty priests. Sensates are known for being arrestingly charming and light on their feet. They receive a permanent +1 to both their Dexterity and Charisma scores to a maximum of 19. Sensates are able to fascinate a single being up to three times per day in non-combat situations (as the 3rd-level wizard spell suggestion). If the target makes its saving throw, it may choose to reject the suggestion, but it will not recognize that priestly magic was being used against it. Sensates receive a +4 bonus to their attack rolls and a +2 bonus to their damage rolls when attacking divine minions or any sort of mortal servants of Set, snakes, evil nagas, hydrae, yuan-ti, histachii, ophidians, and other snakelike or serpentine living beings (particularly those of an evil nature). This bonus does not extend to undead creatures or constructs of any sort. At 3rd level, sensates may cast find familiar (as the 1st-level wizard spell) once per year (at most). They always receive some sort of feline in response, if the spell is successful, and cannot seek another familiar so long as they still have a living familiar. The one exception to this is if the familiar reaches old age for its species type; if it does, it can choose to retire. The priest can then seek a new familiar, but must care for the retired familiar until it dies of old age. At 5th level, sensates are able to charm person (as the 1st-level wizard spell) or alter self (as the 2nd-level wizard spell) once per day. At 7th level, sensates may speak with felines of all sorts at will. Felines they are addressing are never hostilely disposed toward them unless they are attacked or threatened. At 7th level, sensates can summon a great cat three times a tenday. (The DM should choose the type each time the ability is used.) The cat appears within 60 yards and attacks a sensate's opponents until she or he commands the cat to cease, the opponents are slain, or 5 rounds +1 round/level of the sensate is exceeded. The cat does not check morale, and it vanishes when slain. If no opponent exists to fight, the summoned cat can, if physically capable, be asked to perform other services for the sensate. At 10th level, sensates are able to charm monster (as the 4th-level wizard spell) or intensify sensation (as the 3rd-level priest spell) once per day. At 13th level, sensates are able to cast memory wrack (as the 5th-level priest spell) once per day. At 15th level, sensates are able to undo the curse of a girdle of femininity/masculinity by touching the curse's victim. Sharessan Spells 1st Level Excessive Indulgence (Enchantment/Charm) Sphere: Charm Range: Touch Components: V, S, M Duration: 1 round / level Casting Time: 4 Area of Effect: One living creature Saving Throw: Special This spell enables a Sharessin to cause its recipient to focus on his or her current activities to the point of overindulgence for the duration of this spell. When the spell is cast, its target receives a saving throw vs. spell to avoid the effect. If the saving throw is failed, the victim's current actions that round become compulsive and excessive for the duration of the spell. Each round, the target must make an Intelligence check and a Wisdom check (both at a -2 penalty) to perform any action besides his or her compulsion. For example, if Blenzer the Bulging was eating when the spell was cast, he feels an overwhelming urge to gorge himself for the duration of the spell. All surprise checks are made with -2 penalty during this period. If the victim of this spell is attacked while under its effects, the spell is instantly canceled. Likewise, victims do not truly injure or kill themselves while under this spell's effects, although they may come close due to gluttony or some other behavior. The material components of this spell are the priest's holy symbol and three fresh flower petals. 3rd Level Intensify Sensation (Enchantment/Charm) Reversible Sphere: Charm Range: Touch Components: V, S Duration: 1 round / level Casting Time: 6 Area of Effect: One living creature Saving Throw: Neg. This spell enables a Sharessin to intensify sensations in herself or a single recipient. Unwilling targets receive a saving throw vs. spell to negate this effect. Any physical or emotional sensation can be heightened to unbelievable heights through the application of this spell, often disconnecting the recipient from reality, creating an extremely heightened interest or emotion, and proving to be an immense distraction from dealing with fast-paced and changing circumstances (such as in a combat situation). While this spell is in effect, all ability checks, attack rolls, damage rolls (minimum 1 point of damage), and saving throws are made with a -2 penalty, and all wizard and priest spells are cast with a 1d4+1 casting time initiative penalty. Although normally employed in pleasurable situations, this spell can be used heighten pain as well to a potentially incapacitating level. Damage suffered during the effects of this spell is perceived as 25% (round up) worse than it actually is, although the spell has no effect on the actual damage inflicted. (Basically, add 25% to damage (rounding down) as phantom damage that goes away when the spell ends and that cannot kill a target, though it can render him or her unconscious.) As a result, the target may collapse into unconsciousness wracked by unbearable pain even if she or he could normally continue to fight on. Likewise spells such as whip of pain (both wizard and priest versions), symbol of pain, or pain touch have twice their normal effect (or if inapplicable, twice the duration). This reverse of this spell is deaden sensation. Deaden sensation can be employed to suppress physical pain or other harmful feelings. While this spell is in effect, the recipient is immune to the effects of whip of pain, symbol of pain, pain touch, suggestion, other charm-type magics (and it terminates an existing charm), emotion, stunning, or nausea. All damage received while the reversed form of this spell is in effect is perceived as 25% less than actual, although the full effects are felt when the spell ends. (Reduce the damage by 25% (rounding up) but keep a total of the amount of points of damage held in abeyance. When the spell ends, all unapplied damage is applied at once.) This dulling of pain can enable a Sharessin to fight on beyond normal unconsciousness (or death) for the duration of the spell, although the Sharessin collapses into immediate unconsciousness upon the spell's expiration if the damage would normally cause this effect and may die instantly if seriously enough injured. 5th Level Kiss of Sharess (Alteration, Enchantment/Charm) Sphere: Charm Range: Touch Components: S Duration: Special Casting Time: 1 round Area of Effect: One living creature Saving Throw: Neg. This spell enables a Sharessin to grant any being's fondest and most pleasurable wish, similar to the effects of a limited wish spell (as the 7th-level wizard spell of the same name). Neither the spellcaster nor the recipient has any control over this spell's effects as they come from the depths of the recipient's unconscious. (The DM must adjudicate the effects.) If the spell recipient does not want to be affected by this spell, she or he must make a successful saving throw vs. spell. Unfortunately, this spell's effects only last until the following dawn, never seem so wonderful in retrospect, and seem to have little lasting impact on the recipient's life. For example, a serving maid might masquerade as an exotic princess for one night at the annual ball, but in the morning the prince turns out to be a lout, all her fabulous garments have been misplaced, she still has to go back to her old job, and her debut is quickly forgotten among the city's social circles and her common friends. Category:Demipowers